Clockworks of the Heart

Precious Days

After a short while, I find myself standing in the middle of the hallway of the Physics Department. I look outside to estimate the time of the day and guess that it was after 6pm. I face the hallway and I saw light shining from the windows of a room. I was curious about the room and, for the first time, the thought of the mistake that my past self made escaped my mind.

I was very cautious even though I know that most students would have already gone home at this late hour. When I was near enough, I read the label of the room --- Physics Laboratory 4 – R224. I remember that I used this room for my research and experiments for creating my time machine. I heard voices coming from the room and certainly one of them was my younger self's. Good thing that the courtains were closed, so I was able to peek inside in between the drapers. The moment I saw the other party, my chest tighten and there was a slight pang in my heart, because whom I saw with my past self was my beloved Elena.

My emotions became conflicted. I didn't know whether I should feel happy because I finally saw Elena alive and well even though it is in a different time period or sad because I know when these happy times will end. I stare at each of their faces as if I were the main character in the childrens's story entitled "The Scrooge," only I'm watching a replay of one of the happiest times of my life. I start to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Looks like it's time for me to go home. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Elena said to my younger self.

"Wait," my younger self called as he grabbed her by the arm. "Can I ask you a favor first?"

"What is it?"

"Can you sing for me?" he asked with a childish grin.

"No," she turned his request down abruptly.

"Aw, come on. Just one song," he begged her.

"I said 'no'. I have an exam tomorrow, so let go of me!" she flailed her arms hoping for my younger self to eventually let go. Her effort was in vain, however. My younger self had an iron-grip on her arm.

"Ahahaha! No way! I'm not letting go until you do what I want."

"You little troll..." she started to look annoyed.

I unconsciously smile as I recall the times when I acted like a child for the sole purpose of annoying her. I loved it whenever she showed great emotions because she always seemed cold towards others.

Elena sighed as a sign of defeat. "Fine," she said in surrender. "Just one song, okay?" she made herself clear. My younger self nod in satisfaction and payed full attention to her.

"Everyone's around. No words are coming out and I can't find my breath. Can we just say the rest with no sound?" Elena started to sing. As always, her voice is as beautiful as I remember it to be. No matter how tired I was from all the classes and research I've been doing for the whole day, her voice always seem to have a rejuvenating effect on me. Everytime I hear her voice, all the depression, stress and pain all fade away. It was a mystery to me. As a prodigy of science, I was driven to find out the reason behind this. However, a little shroud mystery is not such a bad thing so I left it at that. Without her knowing, her presence always warmed me up and, the next thing I know it, I've fallen in love with her.

Because she is that kind of a person, it is all the more reason for me to save her from her from an abominable end. Somewhere in this world, a person might need that warmth that she possesses. As one of the few who has seen this side of her character, it is a duty I bestowed upon myself to let those who deserve her warmth to be shone by her presence.

“That idiot! I already told him not to get involved with her! Crap. I can't believe that I could have been so stupid in the past.”

I started a train of insults and curse directed towards my naive 19-year-old self. While I was continuing my trail of annoyance, I noticed that the song she is singing was one of her favorite songs and that she is near the chorus now.